Searching out new Cafes on the Cornwall Coast Path

I love the far West, and in two week's time I'm going to be moving to Penzance. I'm going to make it my mission to try out every cafe I can find from Penzance, around the coast to St. Ives, and across the tip back to Penzance. This is quite a small area, but I think it has quite a dense concentration of cafes.

There will be times when I will venture further east; sometimes I might cross the Tamar or even go across the Channel. But most of my reviews will focus on this isthmus. Some of the best cafes to find are the ones you stumble across, like the Lamorna Cafe at Lamorna Cove or the Nosebag in Porthleven, or the little huts selling coffee and pasties like the one at Cape Cornwall (though sometimes I think that pasty tasted so good because we were starving; certainly the coffee wasn't very nice!)

But if stumbling fails to throw up a cafe opportunity, I shall turn to my trusty guide. 'The Cornwall Coast Path' published by Trailblazer just in 2012, so very up to date, and written by Joel Newton & Henry Stedman, based on an earlier book by Edith Schofield. www.trailblazer-guides.com

And for a taster of some of the places I shall be visiting see this short video produced for Visit Cornwall:

The Clubhouse Cafe, Gwinear

Sometimes, I feel like going on an adventure, discovering new walks, meeting new people, trying new cafes. And sometimes I just want to go somewhere I know the food will be great, and the people will be friendly, and where I won't have to walk any farther than from the car to the door.
Today was one of those days.

But I am resolved to write a Cafe Shot at least once a week, and I feel that it is very important that I continue to seek out cake, and other delights, even when I really feel like eating lettuce. I headed for the Clubhouse Cafe in Gwinear. Gwinear isn't a place that one stumbles upon very often but it's worth visiting for at least two reasons (there are probably more). One is the Hall for Gwinear, one of the best small venues for live theatre in West Cornwall, and the other is the Clubhouse Cafe.

I am biased, my very good friends Annette and Tim run it, but I'm not the only one. Just look it up on Trip advisor. Or just go there and have a Cumberland Stack: bubble and squeak patties; topped with a spicy cumberland ring made especially and exclusively for the cafe by Trevaskis Farm; topped with eggs bought from the local farmer. Or have homemade crab cakes made with crabs bought fresh from the lobster and crab huts down in Hayle; or American Pancakes served with bacon and maple syrup.   If you really want to push the boat out, with 24 hours notice, Annette will do fresh cornish lobster served with salad and cornish potatoes. I have tried them all at different times and they're all delicious.

Today I stuck to my core cake mission and had Guinness and Chocolate cake - a scrummy, rich dark cake topped with a very low calorie cream and cream cheese icing (I think tthe low calorie bit might not be true...) Very, very good indeed. It's clever cos it looks like a pint of Guinness, see?

Gwinear Pitch & Putt, Relistian Lane, Gwinear.  t: 01736 850938

The Nosebag Cafe Porthleven

Saturday 6th April 2013 was a warm sunny day in West Cornwall, which almost succeeded in lulling us into thinking it was Spring. But we had been warned it was to be a fleeting glimpse, so determined to go for a walk in the sunshine. Eve comes over from Lelant, Caitlin from Falmouth, Derek from Cabis Bay, and I'm currently in Porthtowan so obviously we met in Porthleven. After a few logistically challenging conversations about leaving cars at either end of the walk from Porthleven to Gunwalloe, we decided instead to park in the free car park in Helston and walk through the woods, along Loe Pool, and join up with the coast path to end up in Porthleven. It's a lovely, easy walk with a magnificent reveal as the woods give way to the ever sparkling sea.

Porthleven has several options for a definitely deserved lunch. I had a yen for SeaDrift's fishfinger sandwiches, but Seadrift, lovely though it is, stopped serving lunch at 2pm. Seems odd on a saturday when, we all agreed, it was often 10:30 before one had breakfast.

The Nosebag Cafe, however, which is just a couple of doors down, serves food all day. It was my third visit, and I like it. It's an unassuming little place where two very friendly women seem to do the cooking, serving and clearing. The food is always good, with a basic but well-cooked menu, and several specials.
Caitlin and Derek had Pork Cassoulet, which they said was delicious, served in a bowl with a choice from a big basket of fresh rolls; Eve & I had a courgette, walnut and cheese savoury crumble; great to see imaginative veggie options on offer. With drinks, the total bill for 4 of us came to less than £30.00.
I'd love to give a link to their website - but I don't think they have one, which kind of endears them to me even more.
The Nosebag Cafe, Fore Street Porthleven Cornwall TR13 9HJ

Cafe Shots 2013 Resolution

In theory, the 2013 season has started. Yesterday's glorious blue skies and warm air lifted our spirits and sent everybody out into the highways and byways. Today the biting wind and grey skies have tumbled us back into winter again. Nevertheless - the season has started and that means Cornwall's cafes are all open for business once again.
My friends and I love a cafe. We often meet for a walk and lunch, and a good cafe is an important part of the decision-making process when we're deciding where to meet, and where to walk.
We have our favourites: Johnny's Cafe Hayle, the Porthmeor Beach cafe in St. Ives, the Gylly Beach Cafe in Falmouth, Seadrift in Porthleven, the Blue Bar in Porthtowan; but these are all well-known and well-supported.
The aim of this blog is to talk about some of the less well-known cafes that serve delicious lunches at reasonable prices; good coffee and yummy home-made cakes; specials that change from day to day - all served with characteristic Cornish friendliness.
So this season, I'm determined to post at last once a week - which of course means I have to visit a new cafe at least once a week. It's tough, but I think I'm up to the challenge.
I welcome comments and suggestions, and look forward to eating a lot of cake!